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"Be careful. I've heard the Cat Cat Mountain bandits are no pushovers. Don't get yourselves killed by bandits after surviving the battlefield," Qing Huai warned, noticing Zhong Wu's carefree attitude.

"Don't worry, my lord," Zhong Wu replied with a grin, removing his armor.

Two other guards followed suit, changing into tattered clothes. Armed only with notched, worn-out blades, the three men disappeared into the underbrush.

"Sir, let's go watch the show," Qing Huai said, heading toward a nearby hill.

---

On Cat Cat Mountain, a cluster of thatched huts gave the appearance of an ordinary mountain village, but there were no women or children in sight. The bandit leader, to maintain the ferocity of his men, forbade women in the camp. If the bandits wanted women, they had to raid villages, and once they were done, they either sold the women to brothels or left their bodies in the wilderness.

A scrawny bandit with a sharp face came running up the mountain, panting as he burst into a courtyard where a burly man was lifting stone locks.

"Second Boss, I've got news about Third Boss!" the scrawny bandit shouted.

"Speak!" The burly man, the second-in-command, dropped the stone lock. "Where is he?"

After the bald bandit, the third-in-command, had been expelled from the mountain by the leader, he had wandered around, coming back every ten days or so to ask for money. But for over a month now, there had been no sign of him. The second-in-command had begun to suspect something had happened and sent men to investigate. However, they had found nothing—until now.

The scrawny bandit hesitated, glancing nervously at the second-in-command.

The second-in-command raised his foot as if to kick the man but stopped himself. This scrawny bandit was his loyal lackey and advisor, someone who had helped him with many schemes. He couldn't treat him like the others.

Suppressing his anger, the second-in-command asked, "Was Third Boss killed?"

"Well... I heard that twenty days ago, someone saw Third Boss arguing with people at the gambling den in Li Family Bay. He was thrown out... but he didn't back down and started a fight. He was... beaten to death by the gamblers," the scrawny bandit stammered.

This was a false rumor deliberately spread by Qing Huai through Zhang Liang. Even if the second-in-command survived this encounter, he wouldn't trace it back to Xihe Village.

"No wonder we couldn't find him. He died in Li Family Bay!" The second-in-command slammed his fist on the table. "Gather the men! Call everyone out. We're going to pay that gambling den a visit!"

"Second Boss, don't act rashly," the scrawny bandit urged. "We're not even sure if this news is accurate. It's not worth mobilizing everyone."

Where there were people, there were conflicts. The Cat Cat Mountain bandits were no exception. The leader and the second-in-command had their differences, which was why the bald bandit had been expelled. Recently, one of the leader's men had made a mistake, and the second-in-command had beaten him half to death. The leader was now looking for an opportunity to retaliate.

The second-in-command thought for a moment, then asked, "You're full of ideas. What do you suggest?"

"Second Boss, here's what I think," the scrawny bandit said. "We take a few men to Li Family Bay. If the news is false, we'll keep investigating. But if Third Boss was really killed by the gamblers, we'll pick a fight with them..."

"Preferably injure a couple of our own men. That way, we can come back and rally the whole gang to wipe out the gambling den. The leader won't be able to say anything."

The second-in-command immediately understood the plan. The bald bandit had been expelled and was technically a traitor to the gang. Even if he had been killed, the second-in-command couldn't openly avenge him. But if they were attacked at the gambling den, it would be a different story. The gang would have to back him up, or morale would collapse.

"Second Boss, you're brilliant," the scrawny bandit quickly flattered.

"Go tell Little Black to gather a few men. We're going to Li Family Bay to gamble!" the second-in-command ordered.

The scrawny bandit nodded and ran off.

Soon, the second-in-command, accompanied by four trusted men, descended the mountain and headed for Li Family Bay.

As they passed through a wooded area, three men suddenly burst out.

"Halt!" Zhong Wu shouted. "This road belongs to us, and these trees were planted by us! If you want to pass, pay the toll!"

"This road belongs to you?" The second-in-command, having spent his life as a bandit, couldn't help but laugh at being robbed on his own turf. "Do you even know who we are? I'm the second-in-command of Cat Cat Mountain!"

"I don't care if you're from Cat Cat Mountain or Dog Mountain! Pay up, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" Zhong Wu snarled.

"Kid, you look like a deserter. If you want to claim a mountain, go somewhere else. This one's already taken. You're lucky I'm in a hurry today. Get lost, or I'll skin you alive when I get back!" The second-in-command, eager to reach Li Family Bay, cursed at Zhong Wu and tried to leave.

"I'll skin you first!" Zhong Wu roared, swinging his blade at one of the bandits.

The bandit, caught off guard, was cut down before he could react.

The other two guards attacked simultaneously, each taking down another bandit.

In the blink of an eye, only the second-in-command and the scrawny bandit remained.

The second-in-command finally panicked. "Good sir—"

Before he could finish, Zhong Wu thrust his blade through the man's heart.

"Spare me! Spare me!" The scrawny bandit collapsed to the ground, kowtowing frantically.

"Go back and tell your leader that this mountain is mine now. He'd better pack up and leave!" Zhong Wu tapped the scrawny bandit with the flat of his blade. "Now scram!"

"Thank you, good sir!" The scrawny bandit scrambled to his feet and fled up the mountain.

Zhong Wu laughed heartily and began looting the bodies. To make the act convincing, they stripped the bandits of their valuables and even their clothes.

"The show's about to begin," Qing Huai said, standing up on the hill and brushing off his pants. "Sir, wait here. I'll be right back."

Meanwhile, Jin Feng watched Zhong Wu from the hill, his mind reeling. He had killed before, but it had been out of necessity. After killing the bald bandit, he had suffered nightmares for days. Yet Zhong Wu had been smiling the entire time, as if killing was no different from slaughtering a chicken. This was Jin Feng's first glimpse of the stark difference between a seasoned soldier and an ordinary person.

By the time Jin Feng snapped out of his thoughts, Qing Huai had already descended the hill. Zhong Wu and the others returned to the woods, quickly donning their armor and picking up their weapons.

Jin Feng watched as Qing Huai directed the guards, who dispersed into different positions with their crossbows. Even Zhang Liang hid himself in a bush. Only the dark-skinned man remained, following Qing Huai back to the hilltop.

"Everything's set. Now we just wait for the show to begin."